Joseph h



(No Model.)

J. H. FOWLER.

OOLLAPSIBLE CRATE.

No. 596,745.. Patented Jan. 4, 1898.

UNITED STATES PATENT hhlCE.

JOSEPH H. FOl/VLER, OF NEWV YORK, N. Y.

COLLAPSIBLE CRATE.

PECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 596,745, dated January 4, 1898.

Application filed February 5, 1897. Serial No. 622,189. (N 0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosnPH I-I. FOWLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Collapsible Crates, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in collapsible crates, and has for its object to provide a simple, cheap, and effective device of this description which when adjusted in position for use will be as rigid as though it were not collapsible, and yet when-it is desired to store or ship the same it may be folded into a small compass for that purpose. A further object of my improvement is to provide means for ventilating the interior of the crate when in use.

lVi th these ends in view this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, and then specifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same, the construction and operation will now be described in detail, referring to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective of a crate built in accordance with my improvement when adjusted for use; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section thereof, and Fig. 3 an edge view of the crate when collapsed.

In carrying out my invention as here embodied I provide a bottom board A, two end boards 13 and O, and the sides D and E. The ends and sides are secured together by the dovetailed joints F and are prevented from becoming detached from each other by the hooks G, which engage with the screweyes H, and when these parts are thus secured they are placed upon the bottom and there held by the rods .1 being passed through said bottom and upward through the eyes J, K, and L, which are secured to the ends and sides, and afterward the nuts N are run upon the upper ends of the rods in such manner as to draw the several parts tightly together and hold them in this position.

N represents the cover, which is hinged at O to the rear side of the crate and is provided with a 'hasp P, adapted to engage with the staple Q in such manner as to provide for the locking of the cover in position, and in practice the sides of the crate may be ventilated by the lattice-work B when it is to be used for articles needing ventilation, but when it is not desired these sides may be made of solid board. From this it will be obvious that when the crate is adjusted for use it will be in all respects as rigid as though it were not collapsible and will serve any and all purposes for which crates are used, and yet when it is desired to reduce the space occupied by the crate in shipping or storage this is readily accomplished by the withdrawal of the bolts 1, disengaging the dovetailed joints F, folding the top against the rear side, and placing the several parts in the position shown in Fig. 3, and finally securing them in that position by the passage of the bolts I through the holes S in the sides, the holes T in the ends, the

holes U in the top, and through the holes in the bottom through which the bolts originally passed. A crate thus packed may be shipped in the weight class instead of the bulk class, thereby effecting a large saving to the shippers of certain classes of goods; and a further object gained by such shippers is that by the use of such crates a larger supply may be had on hand for the packing of goods, as less space is occupied by each crate when folded, and when the crate reaches its destination and is emptied it may be again returned and used over and over again, thus obviating the necessity of supplying a new crate for each shipment.

A crate built in accordance with my improvement will cost but little, if any,more than crates of ordinary construction and yet will give many times the service.

Having thus fully described this invention, what is claimed as new and useful is 1. In combination, the sides and ends of a crate secured together by dovetailed joints and hooks and eyes, a bottom secured thereto by bolt-rods passing through said bottom and suitable eyes, and a cover hinged to one of the sides and provided with a hasp for engaging with a suitable staple, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. Theherein-described combination of the ends and sides secured together by dovetailed joints, said sides being ventilated, a bottom secured to the, first-named members by boltrods passed through suitable eyes and having nuts run upon their upper ends, a cover hinged to the crate, ahasp, carried by the cover, and a staple with which said hasp is adapted to engage, all of the parts having holes formed therethrough for the passage of tthe boltsto secure-the several parts in their collapsed position, as specified.

- Intestimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signaturein the presence of two subt scribing witnesses. t t I JOSEPH H. FOVLER.

Witnesses:

S, S. WILLIAMSON,

M; R. PIERCE. 

